Sunday 15 February 2026

New and updated items follow first.

Flu decreased. Norovirus remains seriously high. Week 2 – 8 February 2026:

• Flu activity decreased and is circulating at baseline levels.
• COVID-19 showed mixed trends and is circulating at baseline levels   
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity decreased and is circulating at low levels. 
• Norovirus activity remains high but is stabilising; cases are particularly high in adults aged 65 years and over; children also suffer badly. Hospitals outbreaks continue. This is 45.9% higher than the 5-season average for the same two-week period. This continues to  push hospitals to their busiest levels for this time of year since before COVID-19. To help reduce the spread, people are urged to make sure they practice good hygiene. Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus, so washing hands regularly with warm soapy water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces are the best steps people can take to protect themselves and reduce the chance of further spread.

At the end of Decemberthe English hospital waiting list dropped to its lowest since February 2023 at 7.29million patients. But in January 71,500+ patients waited longer than 12 hours for a hospital bed after assessment in A&E. Hospitals continue to be under severe pressures.

Ambulances handed over patients more than 2 minutes faster last month despite facing their busiest January since before COVID-19.

Some infant formula products have recently been recalled because they might contain a harmful toxin called cereulide. Cereulide is a toxin produced by food poisoning bacteria Bacillus cereus, and can cause food poisoning symptoms which can be quick to develop and include vomiting, and stomach cramps. The formula products which have been recalled include some batches from SMA, Aptamil and Cow & Gate. You can read more on the Food Standards Agency website’s infant formula recall page. As of 3 February 2026, UKHSA and partner agencies have received 36 notifications where children who have consumed implicated batches have symptoms consistent with cereulide toxin poisoning. The FSA advice is that parents, guardians and caregivers should:

• Check which formula your baby is using.
• If it is one of the affected batches, stop using it immediately, even if your baby seems well.
• If you have already fed one of the recalled formulas to your baby and are concerned about symptoms, contact your GP or call NHS 111.

UKHSA has updated previous advice regarding contaminated non-sterile alcohol-free wipes after continuing detection of cases and a recent death attributable to Burkholderia stabilis infection. There have been 59 confirmed cases in an outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis  in the UK from 2018 up to 3 February 2026, associated with several non-sterile alcohol-free wipe products. These have included some serious infections in addition to the attributable death. Patients at highest risk include:

• patients managed at home with intravascular devices;
• immunocompromised individuals; and,
• individuals with other risk factors such as cystic fibrosis

No person-to-person transmission has been identified. As previously communicated, the following products were found to be contaminated with the strain of Burkholderia stabilis causing the current outbreak: 

• ValueAid Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes
• Microsafe Moist Wipe Alcohol Free
• Steroplast Sterowipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes

Testing also revealed contamination of Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, with a Burkholderia strain not related to the outbreak cases.

These products, which may have been used for ‘skin cleansing’ and cleaning in or around wounds have been withdrawn from sale but may still be found in some first aid kits and in people’s homes. Patients should be advised to check for these wipes in homes, including in first aid kits. Those who still have any of the affected products should stop using them immediately and dispose of them in standard household waste. Health and care providers are also advised proactively to check that any first aid kits being used in routine care do not include these items. If found, they should be immediately removed from use and disposed of appropriately.

Guidance to standardise community health services has been published.  It provides detailed descriptions of the core components of community health services (CHS) which account for the majority of CHS activity, including guidance on local and national reporting. This relates to the Neighbourhood Health 10-Year NHS Plan priority.

Travellers to Cape Verde are urged to protect against gastrointestinal infections

New data highlights cases of Shigella and Salmonella linked to travel to Cape Verde, a popular winter sun destination. UKHSA is sharing advice to help families stay healthy and enjoy their trips. Travellers are advised to visit the Travel Health Pro website, which provides comprehensive information to help people plan their trips. Recently updated guidance includes precautionary measures on how to protect yourself from gastrointestinal infections. 

Standards have also been published for the care of acutely unwell patients in their first 72 hours in hospital. The Model Acute Pathway provides evidence‑based standards to improve care during the first 72 of hospital care. Developed in partnership with the Royal College of Physicians, the Society for Acute Medicine and the British Geriatrics Society, the standards set out the practical actions needed to overcome persistent barriers and deliver meaningful improvement.

The new Model Emergency Department for high performing urgent and emergency care pathways sets out the core principles and components of high-performing emergency departments. It’s accompanied by a detailed guide to the core operating principles for extended emergency medicine outpatient care. Together these offer a structured, actionable approach to improving urgent and emergency care pathways and patient experience, as well as reducing waiting times – for adults, children and young people alike.

The National Cancer Plan for England was launched on 4 February, setting out the long-term approach to improving cancer outcomes, experience and equity over the next decade. The Plan is shaped by extensive engagement with patients, partners and professionals, and details the modernisation of cancer care become a genuine global leader in cancer outcomes.

The Plan sets out how performance will improve to meet the Cancer Waiting Time standards by the end of this Parliament. It includes how survival will improve. The headline ambition is that, by 2035, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free, or living well with cancer after five years. Finally, the Plan will improve quality of life for people being diagnosed with, treated or living with cancer. Additionally, this Plan takes the 10 Year Health Plan’s three shifts, and the new care model they combine to create, and hardwires it into cancer pathways. The publication of this Plan marks an acceleration of change – one that over ten years, will aims that 320,000 more lives will be saved, and many more people supported to live well after treatment or when living with cancer as a long-term condition. Every cancer patient will receive a tailored support plan covering treatment, mental health and employment support under National Cancer Plan. Patients will be linked to cancer charity help through the NHS App as soon as they’re diagnosed. Every patient will be given a named local care lead to provide support after treatment.

The government has confirmed the expansion of the eligibility criteria for the NHS respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination programme. Since September 2024, RSV vaccination has been routinely available to older adults as they turn 75 years of age, with an initial catch up also offered to adults who were aged 75 years and over on 1 September 2024 and had not yet reached 80 years of age. The forthcoming change from 1 April 2026 will expand the eligibility criteria for the older adult RSV programme to also include those aged 80 years and over (with no upper age limit). In addition, all residents in care homes for older adults will also become eligible, regardless of their age, due to their increased risk from RSV.

Resident doctors in England havevoted in favour ofmore strike action in their long-running dispute with the government over pay and training posts. British Medical Association (BMA) members backed more walkouts, which means the union now has another six-month mandate to take strike action, although it has not yet announced any new dates. Some 93% of BMA members voted in favour of continuing with the dispute, with the turnout at 53%.

The government has suggested a 2.5% pay increase from April to the independent pay review body, which is now considering what to recommend.

“Essential repairs” are being carried out to a historic Essex hospital to keep it open to the public. NHS bosses have revealed St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon is seeing work to “ensure the building remains safe and secure.” NHS Essex, said: “Regular maintenance is currently being completed at St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon. In addition, we are carrying out essential repairs to damaged roofs and windows to ensure the building remains safe and secure for patients and staff. These works mean we can continue to provide services onsite, including maternity, X‑rays, blood tests and a wide range of outpatient clinics.” The site was originally a Victorian workhouse and was built 150 years ago.

Our NHS trust has increased referral options for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism care to tackle wait times. Tom Abell, CEO of Mid & South Essex NHS Integrated Care Board (ICB), said families were waiting “too long” for assessments and patients have a right to choose an alternative treatment provider. The ICB has added five new providers for ADHD assessments for adults, and three new providers for autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people and four more will be added in the spring.

In 2024, a BBC Freedom of Information request revealed 6,459 people were on the waiting list for ADHD care. The ICB added that support would also be offered to young people who have been waiting for longer than a year for an assessment, along with those who were currently transitioning to adult services. One of the clinics added by the ICB to its list of providers is Body and Mind Healthcare Clinic, based in Edgware, north London. “The new providers that we have ​commissioned for adults and children’s services will give more choice for families requiring assessment and treatment and will help to bring down waiting times.”

The UK has lost its measles elimination status, the World Health Organisation has announced. This decision was based on the spread of cases in 2024 when there were 3,600 suspected cases. Elimination status means there is no sustained transmission, so this decision was largely expected. There were more than 1,000 cases last year as well. The move is also a reflection of the fact vaccination rates are below the 95% threshold required to achieve herd immunity – when enough people in a community are vaccinated against a disease, making it hard for the pathogen to spread. In response UKHSA, said: “Infections can return quickly when childhood vaccine uptake falls; measles elimination is only possible if all eligible children receive two MMRV doses before school. Older children and adults who missed vaccination must be caught up. The NHS is making vaccination easier, including offering the second MMRV dose earlier at a new 18-month appointment to boost uptake and support elimination goals.”

The Government has announced a £200 million investment to boost local cancer services, aiming to increase screening uptake and reduce inequalities in the most deprived communities.

A new pilot using Artificial Intelligence and robotic tools will help clinicians identify suspected lung cancer earlier aiming to reduce waiting times, support earlier diagnosis and help tackle long‑standing inequalities in lung cancer outcomes.

The Lampard Inquiry into more than 2,000 Essex mental health-related deaths between 2000-2023 has been delayed by over six months. An April evidence session has been cancelled to take pre-recorded evidence from bereaved families. Two additional hearings are added in 2027, with closing statements in the summer, before the final report and recommendations are expected in mid-2028.

On Friday 16 January a patient collapsed with a suspected heart attack in Broomfield Hospital’s A&E “which tragically resulted in the death of the patient”. The Hospital immediately started an urgent investigation into this incident. An independent investigation is now being carried out, led by another hospital not involved in the case, in which the patient’s family is taking part.

We continue to monitor progress after the recent CQC report that the leadership of our local hospitals was inadequate. The Essex Joint Committee, managing the transition to launch the Essex Integrated Care Board in April, was told that a Quality Summit was held in December, and a series of follow-up meetings have been set by NHS England to ensure action continues to address the concerns. Those meetings will seek assurance that the governance framework and delivery of key workstreams will evidence sustained improvement in outcomes and deliverables. Our weekly newsletter includes everything we’ve published in the previous 7-days. Libraries provide online services and help with internet access. For welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com or leave a voicemail on 01245 322079.